diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.java b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.java
index 87602984b95be..a246618653eb7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.java
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ public static ElserMlNodeServiceSettings fromMap(Map<String, Object> map) {
         }
 
         String version = MapParsingUtils.removeAsType(map, MODEL_VERSION, String.class);
-        if (version != null && VALID_ELSER_MODELS.contains(version) == false) {
-            validationException.addValidationError("unknown ELSER model version [" + version + "]");
+        if (version != null) {
+            if (VALID_ELSER_MODELS.contains(version) == false) {
+                validationException.addValidationError("unknown ELSER model version [" + version + "]");
+            }
         } else {
             version = ElserMlNodeService.ELSER_V2_MODEL;
         }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettingsTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettingsTests.java
index 72f604f87090c..a43012c8e8f53 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettingsTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/inference/services/elser/ElserMlNodeServiceSettingsTests.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public void testFromMap() {
                     1,
                     ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.NUM_THREADS,
                     4,
-                    "model_version",
+                    ElserMlNodeServiceSettings.MODEL_VERSION,
                     ".elser_model_1"
                 )
             )
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public void testFromMapInvalidVersion() {
                 )
             )
         );
-        assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("faeafa"));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("unknown ELSER model version [.elser_model_27]"));
     }
 
     public void testFromMapMissingOptions() {